Solar Flare
by Eternal-Explosionist
Summary: The plan was simple: finish senior year with honors, college, and then take over the family restaurant. Very straight forward and to the point, just the way she liked it. Her plan did not include: werewolves, vampires, councils, and secret battles of any kind. Now she was caught in a supernatural war, where jumping in front of a vampire to defend a werewolf was the simple choice.
1. Chapter 1

**Solar Flare**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

The wind was wailing through the small town and the rain was pounding hard against the glass of a particular restaurant, daring to rip the front door off its hinges every time a patron dared to enter. Then again, it was just a normal evening in the town of Forks, Washington. Stormy weather included.

"Business slow today?"

The restaurant was vacant with the exception of Chief Swan who was sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee. His jacket was slick from the rain, his collar turned up to try and keep the cold rain from touching his neck. Currently he was the only customer which was fairly typical for the heavy rain days. The waitress didn't mind though. Chief Swan was always so pleasant, plus he and the owner got along well, which only endeared him more. He was one of her favorite regulars.

"That's about how it goes. The rain either washes people in or scares them away," joked the waitress. "More coffee, Chief?"

"That's alright. I've got to head back out there," he politely declined, rising up from his chair. Taking one last drink, he set the now empty mug back on the counter before zipping up his jacket.

"Have a good night, Jo. Tell your old man I said hey," said Chief Swan.

She grinned. "Yes sir. Try to stay dry out there."

The bell was barely heard over the weather as the chief of police stepped out into the rough rain. When the door finally closed, the restaurant was enveloped in quiet once more.

Jo cleaned the ceramic mug, left it on the drying rack and returned to her post at the bar. She was the only one working as the other staff members had been sent home due to the slow business. So the only ones working were her and her dad. Currently, her dad was in the back office doing paperwork and payroll while she held down the front of house. Not exactly difficult with the staggering guest count of zero.

Everything was clean, stocked, in its proper place, and she was bored.

Sighing, she brought out her school bag and took out her planner and opened to where she left off. She tapped her pen against her lips as she looked over her latest assignment. It wasn't that the homework was difficult, it was just that she didn't like to work on group projects. One partner, three group members, she just didn't like it. She would much rather just do the work herself. Not to mention that the teacher was the one who picked the partners, which was every student's nightmare.

 _English: project partner Bella Swan._

Bella Swan wasn't in class that day and she had forgotten to ask Chief Swan if she was sick or out of town. She didn't have a lot of experience interacting with the brown haired girl. Bella tended to keep to herself (and the Cullens, a classmate told her) and Jo was typically busy on her own as well, with work and keeping up with her studies. Their paths just never crossed and she didn't know what kind of project partner she would be. She really hoped that she wasn't someone who would expect her to do all the work. She had enough of that, thank you very much.

She leaned against the heel of her hand, her blonde braid falling over the front of her shoulder as she looked out the rainy windows. Well, she wouldn't be biking home, that was for certain. She would have to load her yellow bicycle into the back of her dad's pickup truck after they closed for the night. Actually, she should really go ask her dad if they were going to close early due to the lack of customers.

Jo had just turned her back to go the office when the front door was suddenly thrown open, banging loudly from the wind. Whirling around, she witnessed a large figure stumbling inside, knocking into the wall and making the framed photos rattle.

"Whoa, hey—are you all right?" she yelped.

The person was drenched to bone and water was dripping from every point of him, instantly creating a puddle on the floor. He was breathing hard with his head bowed and she noticed immediately that he wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes for that matter.

"My god, you're soaked!" she cried out, panicking. "Here—sit down!"

She disappeared into the back and returned a moment later with an armful of towels, an empty mug looped around one finger, the coffee pitcher in her other hand. A Forks fixer-upper. How long had he been out in the awful weather? And without a jacket or shirt for that matter? Like every other restaurant establishment, they followed the no shirt/no shoes/no service rule but she was going to make an exception. She couldn't possibly send him back out there. Not like that.

The boy had slumped onto the bar stool, the counter becoming wet from the water dripping from his black hair. He didn't seem to even react her bustling around and that only worried her further. She poured him a cup of fresh hot coffee and placed it directly in front of him. He dully reacted to the roasted scent and slowly reached out and wrapped his hands around the now warm ceramic. Frowning with concern, she grabbed one of the towels she collected from the back (living in Forks, towels were a staple item) and carefully tossed it over his shoulders, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"Hey…are you all right?" she asked again, keeping her voice soft. "Do you want me to call someone for you? To come pick you up?"

Finally, he lifted his head and she got a look at the darkest brown eyes. The boy went very still, staring right back as if he just realized that she was there. A little startled by the intensity of the stare, but she gave him a soft smile anyway.

"Hey there," she tried again.

"…H-hey…" he croaked.

"Are you all right?" she asked once more. She wasn't about to stop until she got a proper answer. After all, he showed up in a whirl of rain and cut-off shorts. Which was just as strange as it sounded.

He nodded. "Yeah…I think so…"

"That's good to hear." She leaned back so that she was fully on her side of the bar and the towel settled around his shoulders. "So, mind telling me what you were doing out in all that?"

"I was…" he cleared his throat. "I was out for a run…when the storm hit…"

"Did the rain knock your shoes off too?" When the boy looked at her with a confused expression, she raised a brow and gave him a grin.

"Relax. I'm kidding," she reassured him. "I'm not going to throw you out for not having shoes. It's too awful out."

"I appreciate it," he said. He even gave a smile at her attempt at humor which only made her smile even more. "Sorry—but have we met before?"

"Hm?" Jo blinked at the question and gave a shrug. "Maybe. I'm always here so maybe you've seen me working?"

He shook his head. "No, I'd remember you."

Jo's face burned instantly at his words and she pretended to clean a nonexistent spot on the counter. "Well, I-I don't know what to tell you then."

"How about your name?" he asked. Her smile returned at the unnecessary question as she pointed at her rectangle nametag that was pinned to her apron and clearly read 'Jo'.

"Joanne, but everyone just calls me Jo," she answered. "What about you?"

"Joanne." Goosebumps broke out across her skin with the way he said her name. Simply, yet deliberately with his low voice. "My name's Jacob."

He held out a large hand out to her and she wiped her hand on the towel before shaking it. His skin was hot to the touch, which was quite odd since he should be freezing from being caught in the rain or at the very least clammy. Her green eyes narrowed as she studied the boy a bit more closely. In fact, even his hair was damp rather than completely water logged like it was moments ago. Brow furrowed, she reached across the bar and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. She hadn't even touched him before she felt the heat emitting from his skin.

"My gosh-you're burning up!" she gasped. She made to turn around but Jacob had kept ahold her hand from their shake and she was pulled back. Concerned, she looked from their locked hands to his face again, her body tense.

If anyone else, let alone a complete stranger, had pulled that move she would've ripped her hand free, pinned them with a glare so sharp and, not to mention, a very alarming scowl. It wasn't that she was an overly aggressive person, but she was very particular about physical contact. Especially if that contact was restricting her, like right then. She was cautious as she looked back at the boy but she made no move to yank herself free. There was something about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Which was strange in itself because she like to think that she could read people rather well after working at her family's restaurant. Jacob's grip wasn't tight, it was more like he was just stronger and just so happened to be holding her hand when she turned to move, thus stopping her.

She was instantly relieved when his own flustered reaction kicked in and he carefully and quickly let go of her hand.

"Sorry-!" he apologized. "It's just—don't worry. About me, I mean. I have a higher body temperature than most. I'm not sick or anything."

Jacob was rather tall and carried a very impressive figure. For someone who was so large and muscular, she supposed that it would be fairly normal of him to have a higher temperature than the average person. She felt embarrassed by her earlier outburst, and was positively certain that she must have acted like a lunatic, taking on the motherly role and checking his forehead. If only the earth would open up and swallow her whole right then, that would be great. Her cheeks were bright red from her own inner embarrassment.

"That's all right—I suppose I shouldn't have gone into mom-mode," she admitted sheepishly. "Sort of running on work-autopilot, trying to take care of everything, y'know."

He gave soft laugh and smiled again at her, making her blush remain just as vibrant. Despite being flustered, she grinned in return and leaned against the counter again. Odd, because in any other situation where an attractive boy was talking to her, or even near her, she was usually quick to find something else to do that would keep her busy or get her out of said boy's immediate vicinity. But then when she was at work, people didn't bother her, guys or girls alike because they were just customers.

And now there was this Jacob boy who was smiling at her and she couldn't stop grinning and blushing like a fool. He was breaching the customer status and she found that she wasn't at all bothered by it. He leaned closer, his dark eyes as bright as his smile.

"Hey, by any chance are you—"

"Jo!" called a booming voice from the back and footsteps could be heard. A tall man in a chef's jacket appeared from the back of house, giving a friendly grin when he spotted Jacob. "How's it going, buddy? Storm blow you in?"

"Yes sir," he agreed with a guilty smile. "It sort of threw me off course."

"I hear ya," the man laughed. He looked to the blonde waitress who was no longer leaning but standing upright and smiling, her gaze hopeful. He gave a rueful laugh, reading her expression easily, especially when she gave a victorious grin at his next words.

"Go ahead and shut it down, Jo," he said. He looked to Jacob again. "If you want to order anything, just let us know and we'll whip it up for you, but we're closing early tonight."

"Thank you, sir, but I'm all right," Jacob politely declined. "I'll be out of here soon."

"Have a good night," he waved before disappearing into the back again.

Jo was already out in the dining room collecting the napkin holders from the tables, stacking them like a pyramid in her left arm. She turned around a bit too quickly and the top holder slipped away. She tried to reach out to save it but moved too late and she closed her eyes and cringed, waiting to hear the sharp sound of the metal crashing against the ground.

Surprisingly, it never came.

"Here."

Beyond confused, she opened her green eyes to see the item being held out to her.

"Oh, thank—" her words came to a halt when she had to crane her neck upward to look him in the eye, "—you are very tall."

He gave a loop sided grin at the comment. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Six foot seven."

Both of her brows went up and he laughed again.

"That's usually the next question," he answered without being asked.

"Right…" she cleared her throat before accepting the caught holder. "Thank you."

"No problem." He brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck and she couldn't but notice that the towel that was once around his shoulders was on the counter and he was shirtless. Her face burned bright red again and she moved around him and started to line up the napkin holders in short rows of three.

"Well, I've got to get this all cleaned up, so—" Footsteps approached her and she turned to see Jacob near her again, his dark eyes still so bright. He was smiling and the expression was contagious because she felt her lips twitching into a smile once more.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Jo blinked.

"Sorry?"

He took a step closer and she was hyperly aware of his hand drifting nearer to her own. Her fingers twitched a smidge toward him.

"Tomorrow, are you free?"

Her mind went blank but thankfully her voice seemed to work just fine.

"Yes."

To be honest, she couldn't even hear the storm with the smile he gave her.

* * *

 **REVIEW! I may be ten years late to the party, but ta-da! A Twilight fanfiction! At the request of a beloved reader of mine, I thought I'd give it a try. I think it should be fun! After all, Jacob was always my favorite ;)**

 **I would love to hear your thoughts and I hope you all enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Solar Flare**

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

Jacob couldn't sleep.

He tossed and turned but he couldn't shut his brain off. His mind kept picturing blonde hair and green eyes. A kind smile. His chest warmed again at the thought of her as he rolled onto his side, his bed creaking from the movement.

Joanne.

He hadn't meant to stumble into the cozy restaurant. Honestly, he was running when the storm hit, although he was running out of frustration rather than for sport. Bella and Edward were back together even after all of the stress and heartache. Bella had just jetted off to Italy with Alice with no word or warning, in order to go stop the blood-sucker from showing himself to some council. After the hell the vampire put her through, she still went back to him. Went running into his cold, dead arms and left him back in Forks, the one who actually cared, unable to follow.

God, he had been so angry. He had taken off into the woods, wanting to run on his two legs instead of four, to feel his muscles burn just like his heart. It felt as if he had only been running for a few short moments before the storm hit. It didn't matter and he kept on through the sheets of rain. If it hadn't been for the sudden headlights of an oncoming car, he would've kept going. He threw himself out of the way just in time and due to all of the momentum, he practically blasted through the building's front door.

Disoriented, soaking wet, he wasn't even aware of another voice, only that he somehow found himself sitting at a bar, barely able to stay on the seat due to being so slippery. Next, there was the strong scent of coffee acting as a point of direction and his hands found the warm source easily. Blinking away the water from his eyes, his vision began to clear, but it wasn't until he felt the towel touch his shoulders that he lifted his head and looked up. And by god, he was glad he did.

Bright green eyes were looking right back at him and the rest of the world fell away.

There was no storm, no mental anguish, no Bella. It was as if everything had finally clicked into place and he could take a deep breath at long last.

" _Hey there."_

Then his world exploded with warmth, color, and even his very gravity seemed to shift.

How could he possibly sleep knowing that his imprint was just a short distance away?

* * *

Joanne Thorne had no idea how long she spent in front of the bathroom mirror. She couldn't figure out how to tame her wavy blonde hair into a presentable manner, the mascara tube was empty, she poked herself in the eye twice putting in her new set of contacts. So she went for the simple, less painful route and applied her chap stick, twisted her hair into a quick braid and pulled on her shoes as she hurried out the door. Already running behind schedule, she took off for school, speeding away on her yellow bike.

Her stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies that made her both excited and incredibly anxious. After classes, she was going to be meeting up with the customer from last night, the boy the storm blew in. Jacob Black. He said that he was going to meet up with her after class for their date.

Oh god, she was going on a real date.

Forks High School, home of the Spartans, came into view and Jo swung one leg over and coasted into the first available spot in the bike rack. Locking everything up, she made her way toward the school building, ignoring the sharp pain in her right foot. The first warning bell rang out and she hurried up the short flight of stairs, stepping lightly on her right. She ducked into her first class of the morning and took her usual desk by the wall. Dropping her bag down beside her, she started to flip open her notebook when she noticed another person waking through her aisle. Her bag was blocking the way, she noticed.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized quietly, tucking the bag underneath her seat.

"No harm done," came the smooth voice. Glancing up, she found herself looking into the face of Edward Cullen. His brown eyes were practically golden, she noticed. It was no wonder girls were always going on about him. While they were attractive, she couldn't help but think back to the darkest brown she met the night before. So dark yet so bright all at once.

Edward's gaze lingered as he passed by her seat, his brow furrowed. She kept her head low, awkward under his eyes. That was certainly odd. He never looked at her twice before. Pushing aside her confusion, she flipped open her notebook as the teacher walked into the classroom.

The rest of the day went on quietly as it usually did but Jo couldn't focus on her class work. The clock in every classroom seemed to be moving unbearably slowly and yet time seemed to be flying by all at once. She barely touched her lunch due to her fluttering nerves and her pencil hardly touched her paper, spending more time being twirled between her fingers. Then at long last, the final class came to a close.

Grabbing her bag, she closed her locker and made her way out to the parking lot. She couldn't decide if she should hurry or walk slowly and take her time so not to look too excited. Isn't that what people did? Look cool and composed? She made her way out into the parking lot with the rest of the students and immediately began to look around for the mysterious boy.

She was simultaneously relieved and worried. While part of her thought that maybe he wasn't going to show up, after all she was just some waitress girl he didn't know, the other half of her was thankful for the additional time to try and force herself to relax. A group of students caught her eye and she recognized Bella Swan, tucked into Edward's side. They were standing beside an especially nice silver car. She wasn't very good with car names but she knew it was fancy judging by the look. Since she seemed to have time, she made her way over toward them, wanting to double check with the girl about their English project. Might as well be productive.

"Hey, Bella," she called, giving a wave. The brunette turned at her name, raising her brows in confusion. She was a quiet girl in class, Jo recalled, so it was probably odd that a girl outside of her social circle was trying to talk to her. She gave a reassuring smile as she slowed to a stop.

"Hi," Bella returned, her voice soft. Edward's eyes locked on her as well and she was quick to direct her gaze back to the girl.

"Hey—sorry, I don't mean to interrupt or anything," she apologized. "I just wanted to make sure you knew about our homework."

"Homework?"

"You two are partners for that English project, remember?" reminded Edward. Jo gave a small smile, finding it odd that he knew and the girl did not.

"He's right, it was just assigned yesterday. There's no rush or anything, I just wanted see if you wanted to exchange numbers so that we way we could met up whenever to work on it," Jo explained.

"Yeah—of course, just a second…" agreed Bella, rummaging through her bag. Jo started to feel a little warm under the collar as Edward's gaze lingered on her, peering over the top of Bella's head. More than a little perplexed, she allowed her confusion to be shown in hope that he would get the memo. He gave a humored smirk and looked away as Bella pulled out her phone and the two girls swapped devices to program their contact information. She had just slipped her phone back into her pocket when a new voice spoke up in a deep rumble.

"There you are."

Jo whirled around at the voice, so excited to hear it again and Jacob filled her sight. Gosh, he was even more attractive in the sunlight and her heart started to beat faster. She was still stunned by his staggering height and wide shoulders but she couldn't stop the smile from taking over her face. Her expression faltered before she even got to say anything as another person spoke up.

"Jake? What're you doing here?"

She looked back to see Bella looking right at Jacob with an odd expression on her face. Confused, she looked between the two.

"Oh—you guys know each other?" she heard herself ask. While it was reassuring that someone else knew him, as he was a complete stranger to her, she was also let down that Bella knew him. In a way, she wanted him to selfishly be her own little secret. She knew it wasn't reasonable, especially in a town as small as Forks, but she couldn't help but feel a little bitter sting.

"Yeah, of course," answered Bella. "He's my—"

"-Friend," finished Jacob, stepping closer to Jo. "Our parents go way back."

"Y-yeah," Bella agreed weakly. "Friends…"

Jacob was carefully composed, Edward's overall demeanor stiffened slightly and there was something unspoken in the air among the three of them. Concerned, Jo forced a smile and a chipper tone trying to smooth over the tension that was building. She had worked with people long enough to know when static would give way to sparks.

"Well, it's nice that someone else knows you. Makes you a little less of a stranger, y'know?"

Jacob turned back to her, his smile bright. "I hope so."

She felt her face begin to burn with a blush again and she quickly ducked her head to try and will her face from turning red. She was usually easily embarrassed but it seemed as if everything Jacob said or did just turned her blush up to a level ten.

"Well, we should really get going," said Jacob. "Don't want to miss the movie."

"Oh—right." Jo adjusted her backpack as she gave one last wave to Bella and Edward, but the brunette was more focused on the tall boy to the blonde's confusion. The two turned and walked away and she started to scan the mostly empty parking lot to try and guess which vehicle belong to Jacob. The green jeep? Probably not. The black truck? Hmm, no.

Jacob gently took her hand and brought her to a halt. Goosebumps broke out across her skin at the contact, like she had just received a shock and she looked to him with wide green eyes, gasping softly in surprise. He was still for a moment as well but his fingers closed securely around hers and he smiled again.

"This is my ride," he explained. Following his gesture, she spotted the motorcycle.

"Oh, wow," she said.

He grinned. "Have you ever ridden one before?"

"No, my bike has pedals," she joked. "Not nearly as intense."

"It's not that scary," he promised. "I rebuilt this from the ground up. It's perfectly safe."

He easily swung his long leg over the bike and took a seat, turning back and holding out his hand to her. Those brown eyes made her want to melt. Butterflies fluttering rampantly in her stomach, she smiled and took his hand. Gingerly, she managed to get her leg onto the other side and settle into the seat, accidently slipping too close to Jacob but she couldn't find enough of a grip to try and create some space. He reached back and brought her arms around his middle, pulling her closer. She was thankful that he couldn't see her blush beet red, but she felt him chuckle as if he somehow knew.

"You'll want to hold on."

When the engine roared to life, she couldn't help but tighten her hold. When they started to move, she closed her eyes and hid her face in his broad back. She couldn't help but give a soft laugh, excited for their evening.

* * *

The air felt great against his face as they took off down the road. Happiness was practically busting from his chest and he couldn't keep from grinning like a fool. Jacob could feel her arms tighten around him when they sped up or leaned for a turn and he loved it. The warmth she brought filled him with a glowing heat and he wanted to rev the engine and take off, with nothing but her and the rushing wind.

Of course, they arrived at the theater all too soon. He held out his hand to help her dismount from his bike, already missing the feeling of her arms around him.

"Not so bad, huh?" he asked. She smiled, her cheeks pink from the wind and he got to his feet as well.

"It was very exciting," she laughed. "Heck of a lot faster than mine." He found himself smiling again, loving her light hearted humor.

God, he felt so happy around her and it had only been a short amount of time overall. Ever since he learned about imprinting, he had a sort of fear and admiration for the powerful binding. At first, he thought it would make the most sense for the relationship he had with Bella. Then he feared it because of the very likely chance that she wasn't the one. Now he was here with this girl that never existed before to him and she was changing his world by simply breathing. It was a dramatic statement but imprinting was a very dramatic phenomenon.

The date was quiet with the silence peppered with innocent first date questions. How old was he? Where did he go to school? Did he have any siblings? Which in turn, allowed him to ask the same questions in return and the answers easily fixed themselves in his memory. She was seventeen, her birthday being June 15th. She was a senior at Forks High, just like Bella. Lastly, she was the eldest daughter of her family with her only sibling being her thirteen year old brother.

Their conversation didn't last long as the theater dimmed and the previews began to roll. A movie date was the best option, in his opinion. It allowed him to get to know her and the setting was very easy going. No stress.

Except there was one nagging thought at the back of his mind.

When he arrived at the school, his rising euphoria upon seeing Jo was swiftly dashed with a sharp stab of anger. She was standing with Bella and Edward, within arm's reach of the vampire. It took every ounce of his control not to tear her away from the blood sucker, to shift into his wolf form and just take his hand off for good measure. He didn't like Jo being so close to danger. It would just take a moment of super speed and she would be at the vampire's mercy. He knew Edward wouldn't actually hurt her. It was just an impulsive thought, amplified by the imprint, but he scarcely kept it together as he approached them, even managing a smile, albeit forced.

He knew he wasn't paying attention to the movie and he snapped out of his frustrated musing when he felt her move next to him. She wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, merely shifting in her seat as her gaze was focused on the film. His arm was already resting on the back of the chairs due to his large frame and the small closely spaced seating and he smirked to himself. Slowly, he moved his arm from the top of the chair and gently rested it around her shoulders. He kept his gaze forward as he felt her lean closer to him and his chest warmed. All previous tension melted away as he allowed himself to enjoy the moment. He could easily smell her scent, his shoulders relaxing fully.

It was nice to be normal for just a moment.

* * *

 **REVIEW! Sorry for the long delay as always, finishing school, moving home, getting ready to move again to start an internship that will hopefully turn into a real grown up job (fingers crossed).**

 **So a little bit of extra introductory things: school, perspectives from both Jo and Jacob, and little bit of the first date!**

 **Next time, the normalcy will start to change, the supernatural side of things will begin appearing to Jo ;)**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Your thoughts would be much loved as always!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Solar Flare**

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

Jo was working on autopilot as she moved about the restaurant. Her mind kept straying from the task at hand to the handsome boy that she seen the night before. They had gone to see a movie, a standard first date location and harmless enough, but she couldn't remember a single thing about the film.

What she could remember was that she was overtly aware of how close she was to Jacob in the theater. Granted, it was a movie theater and the chairs were close to begin with, but that coupled with his huge frame it was more difficult to not be touching him in some way. She was more than grateful for the darkness since she couldn't reign in her blush. Although her embarrassment was forgotten for a moment when they were a little ways into the movie. She couldn't explain how she knew, it was more of a feeling of sorts. It was as if she could sense the anger beginning to roll off him, even though in the dark she couldn't so much as see his expression. It should've made her feel uncomfortable and given her a reason to try and end the date early. Instead, she decided to be bold and lean in toward him, shifting ever so slightly in her seat. He went still at her movement but a moment later, again, she could sense the change in his mood. Then his arm easily wrapped around her shoulder, enveloping her in his warmth and the rest of the movie passed in comfortable silence.

She couldn't even explain it, what it was between them. Notoriously, she was quite awkward when it came to interacting with a potential crush or even an attractive person outside of work, where it was easy to put on and hide behind a professional front. She would stammer, blush, the world would feel like it was closing in and her chest would tighten. Actually, that all would still happen around Jacob but it was different at the same time. It was overwhelming and yet welcomed all at once.

"Table 5, Jo," called her manager.

"Got it," she answered. Readying her notepad for the next order, she didn't even bother to glance up, knowing the dining area like the back of her hand and sidestepping around the pulled out chairs. Pulling her pen from her bun, where she safely stored it, she placed the tip to paper and said her opening line.

"Sorry about the wait, folks. How can I help you today?"

"Any specials today, Jo?"

Opening her mouth to answer, she suddenly stopped and snapped her gaze up at the familiar voice. The large figure of Jacob Black filled the chair nearest to her and she jumped at the unexpected sight.

"J-Jacob!" she stammered, surprised. Cheeks turning pink, she noticed that he wasn't alone and she saw a younger boy sitting at the table with him. While he was obviously younger, she would bet good money that he towered over her as well in regard to height. He gave a friendly wave and she returned the gesture, confused.

"You sound so surprised," chuckled Jacob. "Am I not supposed to visit? I heard that the food and service are great here."

Her blush brightened at his teasing tone but she was quick to retort as well, smiling.

"I was just surprised to see you in restaurant appropriate attire, Mr. Black. What can I get you today?"

The younger boy bit back a bark of laughter, sniggering behind his hand and Jacob's grin only widened as he laughed as well. Once they had settled down, introductions were made and she learned that the boy's name was Seth Clearwater and he was from the reservation like Jacob. Jo took their orders down and promised that their burgers would be out shortly and when she turned to make her way back to the kitchen she felt a light tug on her apron and was promptly turned back around.

"Um, yes?" She couldn't help but notice that it was especially interesting to have the temporary height advantage over the handsome boy. Almost thrilling, she thought as she looked down to make eye contact. His dark eyes were bright as well and she had the vague notion that he was thinking along the same lines.

"When do you get off today?" he asked. Bringing her wrist up, she glanced down at her watch to make certain.

"In about an hour. Why?"

"I've got something to ask you," he answered cryptically. Raising a questioning eyebrow, she left the table and made her way back to the kitchen to turn in their order with an amused smile.

Jacob's gaze lingered until the girl disappeared into the kitchen before turning back around to see Seth grinning toothily at him.

"She seems nice," he commented, pleased. The larger boy folded his arms with a proud smile, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course she is."

A few moments passed in comfortable silence, the restaurant's atmosphere was warm and friendly as the other patrons enjoyed their meals. Jo brought out their drinks but she didn't have a chance to chat since the dinner rush picked up and she needed to take care of her other tables. Jacob couldn't help but watch as she worked. It was interesting to see her without her blush and instead move with an easy confidence. She moved around the dining room with a well-practiced grace, smiling and talking with the customers, most of which she knew by name and even knew their usual order. Some she even shared a friendly banter, the employee and patron giving each a hard time in good fun. She also asked how some particular aspects of their lives were going: how was first grade for the young boy? How was a young woman's mother doing?

Jo had just brought over their plates when someone caught her eye and she gave a smile and a wave.

"How's it going Chief Swan?"

Jacob looked over his shoulder to see the chief of police entering the establishment and Bella was only a step behind him. Fortunately, Edward Cullen wasn't with them, not that he could really appreciate a restaurant of any sort, with being undead and everything. The chief waved in return and Jo had them pick their own table and promised to be with them in a moment. The werewolf felt Bella's gaze on him and he noticed Seth shift slightly, unnerved by the attention but he didn't say anything until Jo stepped away to take care of the cop and his daughter.

"Bella looks kind of upset," whispered the boy, leaning in to keep his voice low. "Does she know?"

"It's none of her business," said Jacob, not looking back at the other table. "It doesn't concern her and if she wants to know then she can ask, but other than that, it has nothing to do with her or her precious bloodsuckers, so I doubt she'll be interested."

As Jo took down the orders, she couldn't help but notice that Bella's attention kept drifting past her toward Jacob's table and she couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sight. She kept her smile and professional appearance and when she turned to head back to the kitchen, she glanced from the very corner of her eye and was unreasonably relieved to see that Jacob didn't even seem to be slightly interested that Bella was just a couple tables away.

The kitchen was bustling with activity as always, the back of house being considerably warmer than the front. The grill was sizzling, fryer bubbling, and orders were being shouted out when ready to be taken out to the customer. Her dad was working the grill like he usually did, sleeves rolled up, bandana tied over the top of his head so to keep the sweat from rolling into his eyes. Keeping tabs on her next table's order, she noticed that one of the new hires was struggling with their tray. The new girl was trying to carry too many things at once and Jo quickly made her way over.

In a moment of foresight, she saw the tray start to slip away from the girl's hand and she lunged forward to try and save it.

"Watch it!"

The crash of dishes resounded throughout the kitchen and the two girls were laid out on the ground in a tangled mess. With one hand on the now empty tray and the other keeping the new girl from hitting the tile floor, Jo took the brunt of the weight of the fall but between the two of them, they managed to wear most of the food rather than get it on the floor.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry…!" yelped the new girl, Mary. Jo didn't answer right away, only quickly motioning for her to get up. When they fell, the girl's weight had landed fully on her right leg, primarily up near her hip. She kept her jaw clenched tightly, trying not to cry out while lightning like pain shot from her hip down to the arch of her foot.

"What's going on?" called her dad, unable to step away from the grill.

"We're all right," Jo answered, noticing how pale Mary turned when the owner's big voice sounded out. Well, he was intimidating to those who didn't know him. She saw the receipt on the ground and spoke up for her again.

"We need a remake on table seven, please."

Mary whispered a very faint "Thank you…!" to which, Jo gave a shaky smile and held out a hand so to be helped to her feet, doing her best to keep weight off her right side. She placed it down on the ground and the ache jolted through her again but it wasn't as staggering as before, it was more familiar. That was better. At least it was time for her to clock out. Making her way back toward the grill to make sure that her dad knew about the remake order and that she was going to clock out for the night. She saw him glance toward her leg but she was quick to laugh it off, saying it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh yeah, Jacob's here so I might be hanging around before heading home if that's all right?" she asked. He gave a guffaw of a laugh and gave a teasing look.

"Is that your new boyfriend from the other night?" He paused to flip over a few burgers and then stepped to her side and grabbed a drink of water. Jo felt her face dare to blush as she pouted at her dad's teasing. He knew that kind of stuff always made her super flustered as a kid and still could turn her pink even now.

"He's a boy that I'm sort of talking too, if that's what you mean," she clarified. "I can talk to boys."

"Well, thank heavens, it's about time you can talk to boys," he joked.

She tried to keep her frown, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "Ha ha, you're so funny. Well, I've got a boy to talk to and shouldn't you be working?"

Her dad gave another loud laugh. "You go have fun. Let your mom know where you'll be at and when you'll be home."

"You got it," she agreed. "Have a good night!"

After changing back into the outfit she had worn to class, though still smelling like salt in her opinion, she stepped back into the dining room to see that Jacob leaning against the wall in the general waiting area. He was in the middle of a conversation with Seth but somehow, before she even took a breath to say "Hello," he perked up and turned to look at her, an easy smile taking over.

Her heart picked up and she felt herself becoming unreasonably happy at the sight of him and she couldn't help but grin back at him in return.

"Hey there," she finally managed. "You guys didn't have to wait on me or anything."

"It's no problem," said Jacob, straightening up to his full height. His dark eyes glittered in a way that allowed her blush to remain vibrant as he held the door open, Seth bounding outside first and Jo quickly following. The waitress followed Seth's lead to a rusty pickup truck (a rather standard vehicle for the rainy town of Forks) and the young boy jumped up, turned in midair, and took a seat on the bed's edge, giving an impish grin. Jo blinked in surprise.

"Dang, you really can jump," she commented. His smile only grew and her knees then nearly buckled when an arm was casually swung over her shoulders and she was effortlessly tucked into Jacob's side.

"He's just showing off," mocked Jacob. "Get down, we've got to get you back home soon anyway."

"Aw, you're no fun," said Seth, giving a fake whine. The taller boy gave a short laugh and made a quick dart forward, as if to throw him over his shoulder, but Seth was able to tumble backwards and flip over the other side. He stood up straight and held his arms up as if he was a gymnast. Jo couldn't help but clap, impressed. He gave a bow and ducked into the cab of the truck.

"Smartass," laughed Jacob. Pulling open the driver's door, he turned back around to face the girl gesturing to the vehicle. "Hop on in, we'll give you a lift."

"Oh that's alright, I've got my bike here," she said. "Thanks, though!"

His expression shifted to concern. "But it's dark out. It's not safe to be riding at this time of night."

"It's not a big deal—here, I'll show you!" Before he could argue further, she made her way over to the bike rack and brought her yellow bicycle out to show. With a flip of a switch, a small headlight came to life above the front wheel. She even rang the small bell for good measure.

"See? Totally safe," she stated proudly. "Plus I don't live too far from the restaurant anyway."

Jacob made his way over to her beloved bike and gave the bel a ring as well. She giggled at the action while at the same time being aware of how close he was to her. Looking up, she was surprised by worried vibe he was giving off. Was that just her imagination? Why was he worried? She's made the ride more times than she could count.

"It's really not a big deal," she tried to reassure him.

"The bell is very convincing," he tried to joke, but his grin faltered halfway through. "But there's all kinds of things out there at night. Please, I'd feel better knowing you got home safe."

There was something about the sincerity in his tone that dissuade her impulsive thought that he might be teasing her about her preferred mode of transportation like most did. Even in the dim nighttime lighting, she felt like she could still read those dark eyes with unwavering clarity. He wasn't trying to give her a hard time, his concern was honest. That alone was unnerving, to have someone worry over her. Being the overly concerned one was usually her job so to have the tables turned was a strange feeling.

She glanced back at the old truck, noticing Seth's wave, and did her best to swallow her rising anxiety.

"Okay. I-It'll be faster anyway," she agreed. Her leg was still aching anyway so it would be better that she stayed off it, she reasoned to herself.

Jacob released a breath she didn't realize he was holding and his answering smile was enough to warm her straight to her toes, melting some of her nerves away. She could feel the heat emitting from him as he leaned forward, giving her hand that was resting on the handlebar a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you."

There it was again, that earnest honesty she couldn't wrap her mind around. As if she was the one doing him the favor. Goosebumps broke out across her skin as she gave a smile in return.

"I should be the one thanking you. You're helping me out here," she joked. He gave a soft laugh and picked up her bike with one hand, resting it on his shoulder like it was nothing.

"Trust me. I'm more than happy to." His figure was even larger than before with him holding her bike but she didn't feel intimidated or small in his wake. She didn't even realize that she had shifted closer, her fingertips slowly reaching out as she looked up at him, nearly brushing against his jacket.

Seth's laugh cut through the air with startling clarity.

"Who's the show-off now?"

Her blush flared back to life so quickly that she missed the sound of what could be described as growling as Jacob sent a sharp look over his shoulder to the boy. Her embarrassment soon gave way to humor and she found herself cracking up at the abrupt mood change. Seth grinned at her from ear to ear and Jacob's scowl soon faded, giving her an amused smirk. He stepped away to deposit her bike in the bed of the truck and then moved to the still-open driver's door as Seth gave a wave. Taking a deep breath, she made her way over and climbed into the truck, taking Jacob's offered hand.

Immediately, she realized that she didn't take into account was how tight it was going to be when the doors closed.

She tried to make herself as small as possible but it was a fruitless effort. Seth was clearly in the middle of a growth spurt while Jacob was a large person in general, so both of their shoulders were pressing in on her. It didn't seem as if the boys were too bothered by the arrangement and while Jo tried to keep her mind under reasonable control, but when the truck croaked to life, her nerves shot through the roof. Her hands gripped the material of her jeans above her knees and she fought to keep very still and to refrain from shaking. She closed her eyes when Jacob put the truck into gear and they started to move which immediately twisted her stomach into knots.

It would be fine, her house wasn't that far away. It would be a short drive.

She was only dimly aware of herself giving her address and she tried to focus on the casual conversation between the two boys. She made herself listen to every word, doing her best to keep her mind completely occupied. Seth was talking about some kind of tribe council meeting that was taking place the next evening, telling her that it was going to include tales from their people and that everybody would be there.

Suddenly, she felt Jacob's large hand cover her tightly clenched fist and she dared to open her eyes. She didn't hesitate to open her hand and slip her fingers in between his, not caring if she was embarrassed for a moment. He kept his eyes on the road but she could feel his concern reaching out to her. While half of her wanted him to keep both hands on the wheel, the other half was so relieved to have his hand to hold.

Thankfully, they pulled up to her house in a reasonable time frame and Jacob cut the engine before getting out and she was quick to follow. She took a deep breath, thrilled to feel the night air against her skin once more. Jacob had picked up her bicycle once again and carefully set it down, ringing the bell as he brought it to her. She gave a weak giggle at the gesture.

"Thanks again for the ride. I really appreciate it," she said, the bike under her hands one more.

"Like I said, it's not a problem," said Jacob, giving that heartwarming smile. She noticed that he was still holding onto her bike as well, sort of leaning in toward her. "Listen, Jo, what're you doing tomorrow?"

"A whole lot of nothing, why?" She was acutely aware of how close his hand was to hers again and she was quietly wishing that she had the nerve to reach out and hold his hand again.

"I was thinking you and I could spend the day at La Push," he suggested. "You'd probably meet the rest of the pack before the council meeting in the evening too, that way you kind of know everyone."

Pack? That was certainly an interesting way to refer a group of friends, thought Jo. Odd yet endearing.

"Wait, you want me to attend the council meeting?" she asked, confused. "That sounds like a pretty private affair, are you sure? I mean, I can make arrangements to get a ride home before the meeting starts, it's really not a problem."

Green eyes widened as Jacob stepped closer to her and once again she could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"Trust me, you have every right to be there."

His tone was so serious, so honest that she couldn't help but believe him.

"It's date then," she answered, breathless. His smile seemed to light him up from the inside and her blush turned another shade darker as he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on her cheek. Shivers were sent up and down her spine, the delicate hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised.

She managed to nod. "Can't wait."

The truck started up again and she remained outside her house with her bike as she watched them pull away, both boys giving her a wave. She lingered for an additional moment, hoping her face would cool off before she went inside. Her phone suddenly buzzed with a message, sufficiently snapping her out of her daze and she pulled out the device to see who was reaching out to her.

"Huh, Bella Swan," she mused.

 _Hey Jo, would you like to get together to work on the project tomorrow?_

"Well I actually have social plans for once," she joked to herself before typing a reply. "Shocking."

 _I'm busy tomorrow, but what about the day after? We could make a day of it and knock it out in one go. The sooner the better lol_

It didn't take long for her to answer.

 _That sounds great. See you then._

* * *

 **REVIEW! Your thoughts would be love as always! Sorry for the big delays, work and life have been extra crazy here (story of my life) but I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and learning a bit more about Jo!**

 **Next time, Jo gets to visit La Push and meet the rest of the pack!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**


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